KABUL — Canada formally ended its combat role in Afghanistan on Thursday, closing a mission that has cost 157 soldiers their lives since 2002 — casualties that shocked Canadians unaccustomed to seeing their troops die in battle.
The move adds to the burden of U.S. and Afghan troops who are trying to prevent a Taliban rebound in the militants’ southern stronghold where Canadian troops had been fighting in their bloodiest conflict since the Korean War.
Canada is withdrawing its combat units as the sixth-largest troop-contributing nation, behind the U.S., Britain, Germany, France and Italy. Like Americans and Europeans, Canadians have grown weary of the war as it nears the 10-year mark.
While 2,850 Canadian soldiers are going home, 950 others have started streaming into Afghanistan to help train Afghan security forces to take the lead role in securing the country by 2014.
Canada passed the responsibility for two districts of Kandahar province to U.S. forces at Kandahar Air Field during a ceremony held in a hall decorated with Canadian maple leaf flags.
Since 2002, 157 Canadian troops, one diplomat, one journalist and two aid workers have died in Afghanistan.
Canadian officials said the troop deaths and bodily harm and psychological wounds suffered by soldiers must be seen in context with the progress made in Afghanistan.
“We’ve seen a complete change,” said Canadian Brig. Gen. Dean Milner, commander of Joint Task Force Afghanistan, in a video teleconference from Kandahar. “I think the Canadians have held the fort here for five or six years. With the surge of American forces and Afghan forces over the last year, we were able to accomplish a great deal.”
The withdrawal of the Canadian combat troops, which will reduce the U.S.-led coalition to about 130,000 forces, comes at a time the Taliban continue to show resilience, peace talks are in their infancy, and governance and development are lagging security gains on the battlefield.
